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Assessment of extrusion technique on physico-chemical property, microbial quality and anti-nutritional factors of extruded ready-to-eat snacks


O. F. J. Awofadeju

Abstract

Extruded breakfast snacks are considered microbiological and nutritionally safe to consume because the raw materials are subjected to high temperatures (higher than 150oC, which has been reported to reduce the anti-nutrients present in several legumes) and the product is dried to a minimal level of moisture content which prevents microbial growth. The formulated composite flour from African yam bean, pearl millet and tigernut produced ready-to-eat snacks (RTE) was developed using single screw extruder. The physic-chemical property, anti-nutritional factor, microbial quality and proximate composition of extruded products were evaluated. All raw materials were purchased from local open markets in Enugu and Ibadan. Results of physic-chemical property of RTE snacks ranged from 6.00- 6.15 (pH), loose and tapped bulk density (0.41- 0.59g/ml), water absorption capacity (1.90- 2.43g/ml), oil absorption capacity (1.73- 2.12g/ml) and swelling power (0.99-1.17g/ml). Anti-nutritional factor of RTE snacks showed decreasing order in oxalate and Phytate with decreasing level of African yam bean and increasing in substitution of pearl millet flours, while tannin content increased in the same order. Result of microbial quality exhibited zero coliform and acceptable bacterial counts ranging from 0.9x102 to 1.2x102cfu/g. Proximate composition of RTE snacks displayed low moisture content (10%), protein (14%), fat (6%), ash (3%), fibre (4%), carbohydrate (66 %) and total energy (391 %). The outcome of this study displayed African yam bean, pearl millet and tigernut flours complementing each other when blended in the right proportions, thereby, producing nutrient-dense breakfast snack rich in physic-chemical properties, low microbial counts and minimal anti-nutritional factors.


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print ISSN: 0300-368X